[madpammy]

I need to upgrade from JD 6600 to IH. I have to buy heads as well. Just changed to 30inch rows for corn. I can buy a 1440 and heads and pay cash or I can move up to 16 series and finance. Not crazy about financing. I farm 200 acres total, 50/50 corn and soybeans just for fun but want it to support itself. 185 bu corn, 60 bushel beans. My thinking is buy the 1440 with 1020 and 1063 heads and upgrade combine in 2 or 3 years. Any help appreciated. I have located a 1440 with 2900 hours that "looks" to be in good condition. JD6600 was "primitive" but good combine. Gear drive, no ac, dusty cab, noisy, etc. I have pretty much decided to go with IH in any form.

 

[jalopy]

congratulations on the decisioin to switch!

Also don't rule out 1460s or even 1480s. 60s & 80s have lots heavier drive train (final drives and transmissions) than the 40s did. Depending on what part of the country you are in, I'm in central Iowa and you can get a "useable" 1400 series for $5000 or less. Whether its a 40-60-80 around here, condition trumps model when it comes to price. Of course one in better shape with more options (rock trap, chopper, etc.) will cost you more. The heads will cost you about the same or more than what you will probably pay for the combine. Note that the 1400s had electric over hydraulics starting in 1981 i believe, so if you're looking at a 1020 head I think you have to find a combine with electric controls. The pre 81 combines were mechanical and I'm not sure if a 1020 head can be made to work in auto-height with a mechanical cable or not.

As far as the 1600 series goes, yes they are more money, (seems they bring about $10k more) but with all these machines they are all getting old now and wiring and hydraulic leaks will be your biggest worry. Every machine you look at pull the side panel off the right side of the cab and look for mouse damage and general condition of the wiring. With the 1600s all you are getting over the 14s is a little bigger concave area and bigger clean grain elevator. For what you are doing I don't think that's worth 10 grand.

Any of them will work fine for what you are doing. I would shop by conditon & price instead of a particular model. Steel parts are easy to patch/replace but when you start chasing bad wiring and hard/rotton hydraulic hoses & orings you can pull your hair out in a hurry.

I would think that $5000 per unit, $15000 total would set you up with a pretty useable package, for a 1400 series and both heads.

Happy axial-flow hunting!

 

[madpammy]

Thanks for the advice. I would look at a 60 or even an 80, even though that would be overkill, but I have located this 1440 that "looks" pristine. A couple other questions. Any advice on the header control. I installed dial a matic on my 6600 last season and really liked it. Did these have anything similar to that? Will a 40 handle a 6 row corn head in 180 b.a. corn? I can live with a 15' or 17.5' platform but I would really like to have a 6 row corn head.

 

[madpammy]

I forgot to ask. Did these models have shaft speed monitors in them?

 

[yam]

If you are looking at a 6row I would go with a 60- perfect match- you take a year like this past year with wet corn and wet ground- you would not like the 1440- Years ago my Dad went with a 6 and a 1440- he ended up trading to a 1660 cause he couldn't even attempt to unload on the go with the 1440.

 

[davidh]

you will need electric over hy but for 14 & 16 you have to chance the POTENTIOMETER on your 1020 head

 

[farmerboy3]

we ran a 1979 1440 my grandpa bought brand new ( both of my grandpa's bought 1440's brand new LOL) but the 79 it was a great machine it had 2800 hrs on it when we sold it it was a great machine but we could up grade to a 1460 for pretty well nothin so we did our 1440 was solid it could hand 30ft swath for the amount you farm go with the 1440. our handed 1500 acres of crop land easily every year.

hope this some what helps